Events are listed by city, then type. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to kids@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Morag Bruce.
Glasgow
Activities & Fun
Glasgow on Ice ('ntil Sat 24 Dec. Sun Thu 10am 10pm: Fri/Sat 10am llprn. £5 £7.50 (£4 £5). George Square. 564 4234. Join in the fun down on George Square at this popular open air ice rink. Drop-In Drama for Kids Sat 17 Dec. 1 Iain noon. £4. CCA. 350 Sauchiehall Street. 352 4900. Stimulating session of theatrical fun.
Sunday Craft Club Sun 18 Dec.
1 1am lpm. Free. Glasgow Mtiseums Resource Centre. 200 thxlhead Road.
Nitshill. 276 9375. Drop-in craft club with a
differertt theme each week. Ages 5 I2. Pantotastic Workshops Sun 18 Dec. 2.30 3.30pm. £3 (£2). Tron Theatre. 63 'l‘rongate. 552 4267. The Tron team reveal the secret of a good panto in this fttrt workshop for 5 l0-year-olds.
The Great Christmas Puppet Making Workshop Sat 17 Dec. 2pm. £4.50 (£3.50). Scottish Mask 8; Puppet Theatre Centre. 8 -l0 Balcarres Avenue. Kelvindale. 339 6185. Make a cool Santa. a wee elf puppet. a Christmas fairy or an angel. lrn-Bru Christmas and New Year Carnival Fri 23 Dec Thu 5 Jan (not Sun). Times vary. £15 £l7 (£6 £l2): accompanying adttlts £2.50 £3. SECC. Finnieston Qttay. 248 3000. Thrills and rides to get your adrenalin pumping. Frosty Fridge Magnets Sat 24 Dec. 10am 1pm. Free. Gallery of Modern Art. Queen Street. 229 1996. Make cool fridge magnets at this drop-in workshop. Ages
3 l 1.
Theatre 8 Dance
Aladdin l'ntil Sat 24 Dec (not Mon).
Tue Stm lpm (also Tue Sttn 7pm. also Sat 5pm). £14.50 £16.50 (family tickets
£50 £55). SECC. Finnieston Quay. 0870 0404000. Family pantomime fttn with Aladdirt and his magic lamp.
The Happy Gang in Santa’s Christmas Party Thu 15 & Fri 16 Dec. Thu Fri 10.15am (Thu niat 1.15pm. Fri mat 2.30pm). £7.50. SECC. Finnieston Quay. 08700404000. Mr P. Nicky and Spat/ pull on their Santa hats for the last time. before splitting tip alter their farewell concert in mid-January. Catch them while you can!
The Singing Kettle’s Christmas Magic Thti 15 Sun 18 Dec. Thu 10.30lm & l.30pm: Fri 10.30am 8; 5pm: Sat 1 lam. 2pm & 5pm; Stm noon & 3pm. £7.50»-£|0.
Braehead Arena. 0870 4446062. See review
in Theatre section.
The Wizard of 02 Sat 17 Dec. 2pm. £3. Kelvin Stevenson Memorial Church. Garriochrnill Road. Follow Hopscotch Theatre down the yellow brick road irt this tale of lions. tin men and sparkly ruby slippers. Ages 5 l2.
Storytelling
Children’s Storytirne Sat 17 Dec. 2pm. Free. Borders Books. Fort Retail Park. 390 Provan Walk. 773 2910. Weekly weekend storytelling session.
Story Hour Sat 17 Dec. 12.307 1.30pm. Free. Alliance Francaise de Glasgow. 3 Park Circus. 339 4281. Readings in French of Christmas fairy tales and stories. All children aged 4 upwards welcome. regardless of their knowledge of spoken French.
Edinburgh
Activities 8 Fun
Edinburgh’s Christmas Various dates. Info: 529 3914. Take a ride on the Santa Express Train in West Princes Street Gardens. which will take you to Santa‘s Reindeer Garden where you cart post the big guy a letter until 23 Dec. Santa himself will visit each day at 1pm & 4pm to empty his mailbox and feed the reindeer.
l 1
Tiny Music Makers Sat 17 Dec. Sat 10am 8; l lam. £4 (£1.50 £2). North Edinburgh Arts Centre. 15a Pennywell Court. 315 215 l. A fun session of music making involving games. puppets. rhymes and movement to music. The first workshop is for kids aged 1—3. the second for 3 5 years.
Big Art Wee Hands Sat l7 Dec. Sat 10.30am & 1.30pm. £4 (£1.50—£2). North Edinburgh Arts Centre. 15a Pennywell Court. 315 2151. Painting. sculpture. installation and digital photography. Morning workshop ages 7+; afternoon 3—6 years.
Christmas Craft for Families Stm 18 Dec. 10am—5pm. Royal Botanic Garden Exhibition Hall. lnverleith Row. 248 2974. Join the Garden Rangers for craft attd Christmas decoration making sessions. Explore the Eureka! Moment Thu 15 Dec Tue 28 Mar. 10am-5pm Sun/Mon noon 5pm; Tue Wed 10am-8pm. Free. Royal Museum Science Zone. 2 Chambers Street. 247 4219/4422. [)rop-in event to find out how you cart have bright ideas. solve puzzles and compose your own piece of music. Ages 3— l 2
Christmas Card Making Sat 17 Dec. l0.30~ l 1.30am & noon-lpm. £4
(£1.50 £2). North Edinburgh Arts Centre. 15a Pennywell Court. 3|5 2151. Last minute opportunity to design your own Christmas cards with the help of an artist. {\gL‘S 7+.
Precious Papyrus Pictures Sat 17 Dec. l lam » lpm & 2—4pm. Free. City Art Centre. 2 Market Street. 529 3993. Make cool papyrus pictures inspired by the imagery in the Egyptian exhibition.
A Magical Enchanted Christmas Sun 18 Dec. llam- lpm & 1.30 3.30pm. £4. Lauriston Castle. -a Cramond Road South. 336 2060. A whole host of activities and sparkly materials await you at this Christmas workshop. Pre-booking essential.
Making Magical Christmas Kinemats Mon 26 Dec—«Mon 2 Jan.
Mon Sat 10am 5pm (Tue l0am~8pm); Mon noon- 5pm. Free. Royal Museum Main Hall. 2 Chambers Street. 247 4219. Create dancing snowmen. flying reindeer. elves. fairies or robins using the Shannanka kinetic sculptures.
Christmas Art Competition Tue
27— Fri 30 Dec. 10am -5pm (Tue
10am -8pm). Free. Royal Museum Main Hall. 2 Chambers Street. 247 4219. Pencils and paper are provided. just bring your imagination.
Make an Egyptian Sketchbook Mon 2 & Wed 4 Jan. l-4pm. Free. City Art Centre. 2 Market Street. 529 3993. Find objects in the museum and draw them in your book. then transfer your drawings to a huge mural.
Edinburgh’s Dogmanay Mon 2 Jan. l.30~3.30pm. Free. Holyrood Park. 473 2000. Alaskan Malamutes and Samoyed and Siberian Huskies doing what they love most. pulling sttiff and running really fast!
Theatre 8 Dance
Aladdin Until Sat 31 Dec (not Sun). Titties vary. £8.50—£ l 2.50 (£8.50--£40 family ticket). Bntnton Theatre. Ladywell Way. Musselburgh. 665 2240. Fun and laughter. gags and tricks. all with a pttff of smoke from the magic lamp.
Movement and Shadows: The Magic of Shannanka Theatre Until Sun 15 Jan. Mon—Sat 10am—5pm. Sun noon 5pm. Tue 10am 8pm. £4 (£3). Royal Museum Main Hall. 2 Chambers Street. 247 4219. The people behind the Royal Museum's Millennium Clock tise their kinetic sculptures to tell funny and tragic tales set to hattnting music and synchronised light. Booking advisable.
The Happy Gang in Santa’s Christmas Party Sat 24 Dec. lpm & 4pm. £7.50 £25 famin ticket. Usher Hall. I.othian Road. 228 l 155. See Glasgow listing.
Storytelling
Green Christmas Storytelling Sun 18 Dec. 2pm. Free. Royal Botanic Garden. Exhibition Hall. lnverleith Row. 552 7171.
CHRISTMAS SANTA cums
Various venues
The big red guy may be otherwise engaged. supervising reindeer and writing the mother of all shopping lists. But there are plenty of friendly impostors roaming the Central Belt. happy to make your children smile if you cross their palm with silver.
The simplest option is usually your local shopping centre. where Santa takes up residence in a festive grotto. Prices can vary. but most offer a visit/present/photo combo. Edinburgh residents can find him at Ocean Terminal (0131 555 8888). the Gyle (0131 539 9000). Cameron Toll (0131 666 2777) and Debenhams Princes Street (08445 616161). While in Glasgow. he's hanging out at Braehead Shopping Centre (0141 885 4600). Buchanan Galleries (0141 333 9898). the Forge (0141 556 6661 ). Debenhams at the St Enoch Centre and Argyle Street (08445 616161) and Frasers Buchanan Street (0141 221 3880). Both branches of Dobbies Garden World in Milngavie (01360 620721) and Lasswade (0131 663 1941) have also set up grottos.
If you fancy making a day of it. Lomond Shores. Balloch (0845 4580 885) has really entered into the Christmas spirit. You can ride to Santa's Grotto on the Santa Express. shop at the Christmas market or visit the famin (unfair. Most enchanting of all is The Kingdom of Light. an illuminated journey through the woodland banks of Loch Lomond. Over on the East Coast. the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick (01620 890202) will be welcoming Santa each weekend until Christmas. And he'll be quite literally dropping in to the Shark Tank at Deep Sea World in North Queensferry (01383 41 1 880). Almond Valley Heritage Centre in Livingston (01506 414957) always makes a big fuss at this time of year. and each weekend there will be Christmas trailer rides. train trips to the North Pole and. of course. Santa in his farmyard cottage.
The Royal Botanic Garden. Edinburgh (0131 552 7171) has a special ‘Green Santa‘ in residence until 18 December. and you can look out for Father Christmas roaming free around Edinburgh Zoo (0131 3349171) on Saturday 17 8 Sunday 18 December. In Edinburgh's West Princes Street Garden. you can climb onboard the Santa Express and visit Santa’s Reindeer Garden (0131 529 3914) where the man himself will empty his mailbox and feed the reindeer at 1pm and 4pm each day. (Kelly Apter)
Tell Me a Story for Christmas Sun 18 Dec. 2.30 4.30pm. St Cecilia‘s Hall. Niddry Street. 556 9579. A relaxing afternoon of festive stories. snacks and decorating sessions.
Join Talking Trees for Christmas tales to delight your ellish ears.
Telling Tales on the Canal Bank Sun 18 Dec. Sun lpm & 3pm. £5. Cargo Bar. Edinburgh Quay. 557 5724. Tales of Christmas and canals in a specially created storytelling spot.
Doodles and Tales Sttn 18 Dec. 2—4pm. Free. Royal Scottish Academy. The Mound. l 225 6671. Join storyteller Judy Paterson and artist Juliana Capes for lots of fttn activities. Ages 5 9.
15) Dec 2005- 5 Jan 2006 THE LIST 79